Modeling and Validation of a Vibration Energy Harvester with Planetary‐Gear Rectification Generator for Roadways

To advance sustainable energy development and enhance the utilization of vibration energy, this study proposes a novel vibration energy harvesting system (VEHS) incorporating a planetary gear rectification generator (RG) for road applications. The proposed VEHS‐RG comprises four core modules: an energy input module, a motion conversion module, a generator module, and an energy storage module. A key innovation is the unique mechnical motion rectification (MMR) structure based on a planetary gear, which addresses the challenge of achieving higher power. This mechanism rectifies the oscillatory motion of a vibrating plate into unidirectional rotation to drive the generator, with the generated electrical energy stored in a capacitor. The operating principle and a coupled vibrational‐electrical dynamic model of the system are presented. Furthermore, the output performance and the influence of key system parameters are investigated, demonstrating the system's capability to power devices requiring watt‐level power. Specifically, compared to conventional VEHS with MMR, the proposed VEHS‐RG offers distinct advantages in terms of reduced system cost and size, as well as improved performance. Finally, a prototype is fabricated and experimentally validated. The results corroborate the simulation findings, confirming the feasibility and its potential for powering road infrastructure components such as traffic signals and lights.